BIRDING, ALICE, AND GARDENS

Day 3 Llandudno :

We set sail from Dublin a bit before 2200 hrs, as we left the harbor into the Irish Sea, the swells and wind rose giving us a bit of a rocky start. Personally, it made for great sleeping. 

I was awake at 0500 and found my way to the Chart Room for coffee. I did some writing and photo editing. Soon the sun was starting to appear on the horizon and I captured the moment. 

Today we are Llandudno in the North of Wales, a seaside town of just over 20,000, who's name is derived from its patron Saint Tudno. In the 19th century this town expanded due primarily to copper mining, now it has evolved into a holiday resort area. 

Llandudno is part of the County of Conwy where one finds Snowdonia National Park.  Here we find the Great Orme peninsula. This limestone headland takes its name from the Old Norse meaning sea serpent. 

Time for breakfast, today we found a cheery staff and a nice assortment of breakfast fare. After breakfast we walked about the ship and getting geared up for the day. Looks like rain will be our daily forecast, yet this is exactly what I expected. 

Due to sea and wind conditions, we did not dock at the pier but rather zodiacs were used to ferry us ashore. As we landed we were warmly greeted by local representatives dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland and a local brass band. We boarded a coach and were transported to the RSPB nature reserve. The Alice in Wonderland reference became clear as we passed the  St. Tudno Hotel and learned this is where a family would stay for their holidays and among the children there was a young girl named Alice. As it so happens an author became intrigued by Alice and later wrote a book using the young Alice as a character. Yes the author was Lewis Carol and now you know the rest of the story. 

When we arrived at the RSPB Natural Area, we learned the area is man made, as fill from a tunnel construction project was used to create this estuary. We hiked along trails and visited various hides (blinds) to observe the birds of the area, among these were Lapwings, Coots, Warblers, Robin (different than we have in the states, Heron, Snipe and more.  

The Robin 

Blue Tit 

The Robin 

A splashy zodiac ride back to the Orion for a light lunch served in the lounge was our choice rather than the large buffet served in the main dining room. 

Also, Conwy is the home of the Punch and Judy puppet show. Llandudno is a waterfront resort city with many hotels and a nice esplanade for walking, I think it would be a most enjoyable place to holiday. 

The afternoon found us returning to shore where we boarded a motor coach for a ride to Bodnant Garden. Bodnant Garden is a National Trust property is situated overlooking Conwy Valle, founded in 1874 and developed by five generations of the Pochon family. The property spans 80 acres and includes formal Italianate Terraces.  The Gardens Founder acquired fame and fortune by inventing a process for clarifying soap turning it from the traditional brown to white. Thus started the subsequent five generations developing the gardens till 1949. It was then turned over to the National Trust. 

While we ashore a harp was transported to the ship via Zodiac and enjoyed an evening performance by Katherine Finch. This was a Herculean event transporting the harp from Cardiff, across a beach, down a dock, onto a Zodiac, to the Ship and then loaded onboard. Katherine told us the greatest concentration of harpists can be found in Wales and most schools have a harp and a harp instructor. We learned the traditional music of Wales is Sad, Very Sad , and really really very very Sad. Katherine Finch was chosen by Prince Charles as the first Royal Court Harpist.  

Dinner again was great and we soon found ourselves fast asleep.